Childhood maltreatment type and severity predict depersonalization and derealization in treatment-seeking women with posttraumatic stress disorder. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: King, Christopher D.; Hill, Sarah B.; Wolff, Jonathan D.; Bigony, Cara E.; Winternitz, Sherry; Ressler, Kerry J.; Kaufman, Milissa L.; Lebois, Lauren A.M.
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 292(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Dissociation -- Emotional abuse -- Emotional neglect -- Physical abuse -- Physical neglect -- Sexual abuse -- Dissociative subtype of PTSD; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113301
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0165-1781

Abstract

Highlights: Prior research has found that child maltreatment is associated dissociation. We investigated the role of child maltreatment in the dissociative subtype of PTSD. Greater emotional abuse and lower physical abuse predicted dissociation. Results highlight the role of these maltreatment types in dissociation and PTSD. Abstract: The dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (D-PTSD) is estimated to occur in approximately 14% of those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and is characterized by clinically significant dissociative symptoms in addition to typical PTSD symptoms. Prior research has found childhood maltreatment contributes to dissociation and D-PTSD susceptibility, but more nuanced questions about the nature of childhood maltreatment remain unexplored. We investigated how childhood maltreatment type and severity are associated with the dissociative symptoms of D-PTSD among women with PTSD ( N = 106) receiving psychiatric care at a program specializing in trauma-related disorders. Participants completed self-report surveys of psychiatric symptoms and prior trauma exposure including the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, the Dissociative Subtype of PTSD Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. We used multivariate linear regression to model the association of childhood maltreatment types and dissociation. In our final model childhood emotional abuse and physical abuse significantly predicted the dissociative symptoms of D-PTSD. This suggests childhood maltreatment type and severity, in particular of emotional and physical abuse, are associated with the dissociative symptoms of D-PTSD. This work points toward potential etiological contributions to D-PTSD.